This is the Road to Ruin (And We Started at the End)
by Center of the Galaxy
Summary: Her life isn't a fairy tale and it's been years since she actually believed in true love conquering all. But sometimes, when Lydia looks at Stiles, she thinks that maybe, just maybe, the two of them could one day live happily ever after. *Stydia, 5x16 spoilers, one-shot*


_**Author's Note:**_ _Just a plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone. Spoilers for 5x16. Please enjoy!_

* * *

" _Say, yeah_

 _Let's be alone together_

 _We could stay young forever_

 _Scream it from the top of your lungs, lungs, lungs."_

* * *

— _Fall Out Boy, "Alone Together"_

Lydia has never felt more powerless than she does now. Echoes of voices surround her, filtering in from seemingly everywhere. She can't tell whether they're real or just a figment of her imagination, but part of her doesn't care anymore. She can't control her powers. She can't be of use to anyone.

She's going to end up like Meredith, driven crazy by the voices that won't ever leave her alone. She's going to be forced to watch all those around her die horrible deaths and there will be nothing she can do.

Nothing but scream.

It's funny, no matter how hard she tries to keep the pack safe, to keep her loved ones alive, it always ends up the same—her screaming as she sees lifeless eyes staring upwards at her.

Here, sitting in Eichen House, she's dying. She can feel her life slipping away. The voices grow louder by the hour and the sheer torture she endures—it's enough to break an Alpha werewolf, let alone her.

But, it's better for her to die than for someone else to be taken from her. She takes comfort in that fact. If she dies here, she won't have to witness anymore brutal deaths. She won't have to cry over the corpses of her friends.

She won't have to suffer—

 _And if you die, I will literally go out of my freaking mind._

"Stiles." Her voice is rough—she doesn't get enough water here and she can't control her screaming—but his name still brings a soft smile to her face.

Even here, in the middle of personal Hell, he's still here for her. And she doesn't know whether she should feel more relieved or terrified about that. Because, those around her tend to get hurt and the last time she let herself fall in love, her lover ended up dead.

So, she hangs on in the dark, because while her hope is fading, it isn't completely gone yet.

* * *

The dark is a respite.

In the dark, there is no pain. No grief. No fear or worry. In the dark, there is just quiet and peace. Compared to what she's been through, it's a wonderful place to be and honestly, she wouldn't mind spending the rest of her life here, where it's safe, where she won't have to lose anyone else.

But of course, Stiles won't even let her have this.

She can sense him, somehow. He comes to visit her and his voice pierces the dark, filling it with small fireflies that twinkle and illuminate the walls of her self-imposed prison.

He wants her to leave the dark. He wants her to come back to the pack. Back to the real world where there's pain and grief, but also joy. Living in the dark, she's numb to everything—both good and bad. But is that so bad?  
 _Come on Lydia, you have to come back to us._

This is only a temporary solution, she knows. Even so, she wants to stay here for just a bit longer.

And in the dark, she shuts her eyes.

Just a bit longer.

* * *

He isn't supposed to be here.

"Lydia, just shut up and let me save you!" His hands are gentle as he reaches for her and all she can think of is how much of a danger she is to him. He needs to get far away from her as possible. If he doesn't, he'll die here.

Lydia knows she needs to tell him this. She needs to insist upon him leaving her behind. She needs to be forceful and get him to safety. But she is so damn relieved to see his face, to feel his hands on her skin, to hear his voice by her ear that she can't do it.

She's going to die here, she knows. Her life is slipping away, like sand through her fingers. But that doesn't mean he has to die with her. He can still escape and be safe and live his life—

"Hang in there." He's holding her so securely, like she's the most precious treasure in the universe and immediately, all her thoughts of protesting are gone, disappearing in a flash.

Because this—human contact, his warm touch, his soothing voice—this is what she fights so hard to protect.

She loves him and she's never told him and now, it's too late.

Stiles may be able to try and defy her fate, but she knows better. She'll be lucky if they make it out of Eichen, let alone back to the pack. She can barely walk with his help. Her vision keeps growing blurrier and her breath grows more and more shallow by the minute.

"Lydia, don't give up on me." He shoots her a rare smile and it's like feeling the sun warm her cheeks. It's a smile full of promise and hope and God help her, it makes her want to believe that she will survive, that she'll have another chance to get things right with him.

"I haven't." Her voice is raw, her throat burning, but it's two words filled more emotion than she's expressed since she was first imprisoned here.

"Good. Cause we need to come up with a new plan. First one kind of fell through."

Lydia just laughs.

And maybe, just maybe, she begins to have a bit of hope.

* * *

 _Lydia, please, open your eyes._

When she was little, she used to read fairy tales to herself. Her father and mother would be screaming at each other in the other room and she'd have to tuck herself in. To distract herself, she'd read the tales out loud and try to pretend that she wasn't a child about to lose her family, but a precious princess who had a lifetime of adventure before her.

Now, she knows that she doesn't need a prince to rescue her. But back then, the thought brought her a bit of comfort. She used to try and picture what her prince would like. What kind, loving words would he profess to her? Would he make her laugh? Would he love her for an eternity?

As she grew up, the idea of a handsome, loving prince faded from her mind. It was replaced with crushed dreams, with gossip, with reality really. So, when she meets Stiles, she ignores him in favor of keeping her social status intact. Because, being the most popular girl at school, that's as close as she can get to being a princess in real life, right?

Except, that part of her life is all a lie. She's a smart, capable young woman, hiding behind a rude jock of a boyfriend and antiquated rules that make no sense. Her popularity won't make her happy.

It takes Stiles to show her that.

He opened her eyes to what she could be—a kind, happy, confident girl. For that, she owes him the world. He saved her from herself really. For that, she owes him the world.

And when she opens her eyes and meets his misty gaze, she can't help but grin. He's holding her in his arms and there's shattered glass and bloodstains around them, but it's the closest thing to a fairy tale ending that she'll get.

They're both alive and together, they can craft their own story.

 _Stiles saved me._

With his hand in hers, Lydia knows she can face anything.

Anything at all.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _5x16 gave me all the Stydia feels so this probably won't be the last story I do around that episode. I'd love to know what you thought. Please review if you have a second! Thanks!_


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